[mythtv-users] Setting up an FAQ for LiveTV changes

[Michael T. Dean]

Jens Baumeister wrote:
> since the LiveTV changes seem to lead to questions again and again
> (and sometimes to flamewars), I volunteer to write an FAQ about it.
>
> However, while I do know how things are currently working, I'm not
> 100% sure about the planned state for the 0.19 release. (Esp. from the
> user perspective: What setting are planned, etc.) I'd be grateful for
> any pointers to resources (bug tickets, list threads)  I can mine for
> further information.
>
> That way, we'd have a single place to point people to when the
> question comes up again.
>   
I'll throw out a couple of topics that should probably be discussed and 
see if it gets the ball rolling.  Others, please add topics and/or 
references I forgot.  (Since Jens is going to the trouble of writing up 
the info, we might as well help him find all of it.  Doing so should be 
much easier than answering the same question 50 times on the list.  :)

Definitely should discuss things like:

    - playgroups (not really a LiveTV thing, but something else that's 
likely to confuse people moving to 0.19)
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/7965

    - the user can actually save the "entire" program (not just from the 
point he/she presses "R"--at least the part of the program that the user 
has watched in LiveTV)
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/786

    - there is no longer a directory set aside for LiveTV (so people 
using a separate partition for LiveTV will no longer use the LiveTV 
partitions or will have to re-configure their systems).
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/7780

    - *all* shows the user sees in LiveTV are separate recordings.  
Therefore, if the user watches LiveTV through a show change, there will 
be 2 recordings created.  Also, if the user channel surfs, he/she may 
create hundreds of LiveTV files.  And, most importantly, the fact that 
this is nothing to worry about.

    - all LiveTV recordings are put in the LiveTV recording group
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/7854

    - setting to show or hide LiveTV recordings in "All Recordings" (by 
default hidden)
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/8047 and for MythWeb 
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/8611

    - autoexpire (no longer a system-wide setting option; it's always 
enabled, however--as always--you can specify autoexpire settings on a 
per-recording basis)
        -- "short" LiveTV recordings (less than 2 minutes) and their 
autoexpire policy
        -- "long" LiveTV recordings (more than 2 minutes) and their 
autoexpire policy
 http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/7863 and 
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/8047

    - disk usage by LiveTV available in the autoexpire list
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/8609

    - how to save a LiveTV recording (during LiveTV with "R", and after 
the fact change recording group (and autoexpire setting?))  - references?

    - how to manually delete LiveTV recordings (and a note that there's 
no reason to do this--but telling people how will probably prevent a lot 
of arguments)
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/dev/163500#163500

    - if you jump back to the previous program in LiveTV, it goes to 5 
seconds before the end and short recordings may have been autoexpired, 
so you may not see the "channel surfs"
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/7838 and 
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/7866

    - LiveTV recordings do not count towards Max Episodes count
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/7863

    - If there's no program data, Myth will create programs that end 
every half hour or at the beginning of the next program
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/changeset/7923

    - the fact that MythTV can record things on a schedule so you never 
have to watch LiveTV ;)

That's all I can think of that users need to know (and a few things they 
don't need to know but might think they need to know).

Mike